Okenabirhie needs to play but not on his own up front

[Fred Colon]

Okenabirhie needs to play but not on his own up front. He's the only regular goalscorer in our team but the system we have, playing him on his own up front, doesn't work. We built a team around Mullin's strengths, now we need to build it to make the most out of Okenabirhie.

Okenabirhie needs support if we're to get the best out of him and I'm not sure Ahadme's that man. My instinct is to play Thomas up front with him or just behind him. Thomas is capable of playing the role Digby has been playing recently in a 4-1-4-1 but needs to get the bite he had earlier in the season back in to his game. He was fantastic at closing down and seemed to appear all over the pitch. He's also a capable finisher, as he demonstrated last season at Accrington.

We're struggling for goals and I'd like to see us be less cautious in our play.

[hoolaohanrahanrahan]

Not sure Thomas up front is something I'm in a great hurry to see, not yet over Brigadier Williams up top and it's already been a while.

How do we do it though? Not sure we can get away with three at the back, or two up top otherwise, and then we're back to having a collection of wide-cum-forward players that brings the strengths out of no one in particular.

[relay22]

Nov 15, 2023 11:28:59 GMT Fred Colon said:

Okenabirhie needs to play but not on his own up front. He's the only regular goalscorer in our team but the system we have, playing him on his own up front, doesn't work. We built a team around Mullin's strengths, now we need to build it to make the most out of Okenabirhie.

Okenabirhie needs support if we're to get the best out of him and I'm not sure Ahadme's that man. My instinct is to play Thomas up front with him or just behind him. Thomas is capable of playing the role Digby has been playing recently in a 4-1-4-1 but needs to get the bite he had earlier in the season back in to his game. He was fantastic at closing down and seemed to appear all over the pitch. He's also a capable finisher, as he demonstrated last season at Accrington.

We're struggling for goals and I'd like to see us be less cautious in our play.

Great call that Fred, yes with Thomas` higher league experience with QPR he could easily play that role......yep I, like many in that 6 Pointer at Accrington witnessed such a good finish especially with so much riding on that game.

Start him there alongside Feji at Northampton and home to Lincoln and by the time we play Fleetwood in the cup they hopefully will have gelled into a useful partnership !

Here`s hoping !

[cufc1]

Ok, this was discussed on Monday with Doug and Johnno on BBC radio Cambs United hour. He can’t play up front as doesn’t have the physical attributes to hold the ball up so you either have him come off the bench all the while as an impact sub, you play him as part of the three behind Adheme or you could do what MB did at Cheltenham and play 2 up front with him along side Adheme.

In the end, it was decided that he’s best role was off the bench, with Adheme up front, with brophy, Kai Kai and Lankcaster play the three behind Adheme.

Personally I think unless United play a different formation, this is the best way for him, but despite that, United still need another forward with a more potent threat to goal, as once we concede, hard to see where the goal or goals come from.

[danielcufc]

I agree that Okenabirhie is our best chance of goals and that the current sysyem doesn't suit him.

What is a concern is how the squad was recruited again in the summer. MB's prefered system is 4231 or now 4141 which means one up top. Ahadme was recruited to play the 1 up top, but what happen's when he's injured or out of form? I might be wrong but I don't think Fejiri was every played up on his own last season when fit. Towards the end of the season he quite often came on the left hand side. What we have now is him being played up top, ball lumped up to him which doesn't suit his game. Maybe this is down to the other players in the team not playing to his strengths? The same quite often happened to Smith last year.
We seem to recruit lots of wide players or attacking midfielders but then play inverted wingers or one striker up top. We are now playing a natural CDM in Digby as a pressing no 10!

If MB wants to play the way he does then recruit a squad around it. Lots of players being shifted around and not in natural postions this season.

[Sandypants]

I think we'd get a lot more out of the whole attacking unit if we put the wide players on their favoured side and had them try to stretch the play and leave the overloads to the players without the ball. There's no reason Fej can't succeed with Brophy on the left, Kaikai on the right, and any of Thomas/Lankester/May/Ahadme/Kachunga/etc behind him.

Alternatively, Brophy and Bennett are comfortably the best ball-carriers. A back three with those in wing-back and Fej/A.N.Other supported by a midfield three could do wonders.

Gordon can go home.

[Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power]

Playing upfront on his own doesn’t mean he has to be a target man/hold up type player. It’s perfectly possible for strikers with his attributes to play off the shoulder of the last defender, feeding off balls in behind or over the top into space for him to run onto. It would require a major tactical shake-up and style of play this squad might not be capable of, but we won’t really know without trying it.

The idea that a lone striker simply has to be a physical brute, capable of bullying opposing centre-halves, winning flick ons, knock downs and hold up play is very outdated.

[Andrewlang]

Not sure about Thomas upfront. I feel like the way we play needs a target man alongside Fej, and Thomas is a long way from that. If we're trying to replicate Mullinside then it has to be Gassan for me.

Thomas in the two behind as a box to box number 8 type becoming a number 10 in attacking play seems like it should work. Maybe Fej alongside him as a shadow stiker. I'd quite like to free Jack from the number 10 to see if he can fix our issue in wide positions, it's where he broke through at Ipshit after all.

I don't mind the idea of Fej playing wide of the striker either, Smith scored a lot of goals that way. Almost as though he's playing a 4-3-3 position in a 4-1-4-1 🤷‍♂️.

Eitherway, it needs a change of attitude as much as anything. We're good at the off the ball stuff (usually), I'm actually fairly confident of going to Northampton and not conceding. Less so of us scoring at the moment, but I don't think it's completely broken.

Andrew

[imp566]

Oh for the days of a solid 4-4-2, sadly, that formation doesn't appear to be in the FA Coaching manual anymore!

Wouldn't mind seeing that used, perhaps with these players:

Stevens
Okedina, Morrison, Bennet, Andrew
Bennet, Thomas, Cousins, Brophy
Okenabirhie, Ahadme

On the bench you could choose attacking/midfield options from Lankester, Digby, May, Kaikai, Kachunga, Gordon and I would add McConnell to that list.

[Fred Colon]

Nov 15, 2023 12:13:20 GMT imp566 said:

Oh for the days of a solid 4-4-2, sadly, that formation doesn't appear to be in the FA Coaching manual anymore!

Wouldn't mind seeing that used, perhaps with these players:

Stevens
Okedina, Morrison, Bennet, Andrew
Bennet, Thomas, Cousins, Brophy
Okenabirhie, Ahadme

On the bench you could choose attacking/midfield options from Lankester, Digby, May, Kaikai, Kachunga, Gordon and I would add McConnell to that list.

Yeah, I'd be happy with a good old 4-4-2. LBennett in right midfield is preferable to right wing, too, I think, although I might choose Haunstrup over Okedina- I think he can play right back?

[Fred Colon]

Nov 15, 2023 11:59:35 GMT Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power said:

Playing upfront on his own doesn’t mean he has to be a target man/hold up type player.

...

The idea that a lone striker simply has to be a physical brute, capable of bullying opposing centre-halves, winning flick ons, knock downs and hold up play is very outdated.

I agree but I was basing my 'Okenabirhie can't play up top on his own' on what's happened when he has played up top on his own. It usually results in 'Cambridge nil'.

[Andrewlang]

All of his goals have come from playing upfront on his own haven't they? I think it's our attitude as much as anything, his goals have tended to come when we've made sub, it seems to be a signal to the team to let the shackles off a bit.

We need to get that balance right for the 65 minutes previous.

Andrew

[Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power]

Nov 15, 2023 12:52:39 GMT Fred Colon said:

Nov 15, 2023 11:59:35 GMT Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power said:

Playing upfront on his own doesn’t mean he has to be a target man/hold up type player.

...

The idea that a lone striker simply has to be a physical brute, capable of bullying opposing centre-halves, winning flick ons, knock downs and hold up play is very outdated.

I agree but I was basing my 'Okenabirhie can't play up top on his own' on what's happened when he has played up top on his own. It usually results in 'Cambridge nil'.

Which only serves to prove the way we’re asking him to play and the manner in which we’re attempting to feed him doesn’t work. It’s not definitive proof it’s a role he can’t play.

[Fred Colon]

Nov 15, 2023 13:51:29 GMT Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power said:

Nov 15, 2023 12:52:39 GMT Fred Colon said:

I agree but I was basing my 'Okenabirhie can't play up top on his own' on what's happened when he has played up top on his own. It usually results in 'Cambridge nil'.

Which only serves to prove the way we’re asking him to play and the manner in which we’re attempting to feed him doesn’t work. It’s not definitive proof it’s a role he can’t play.

I can see how you may have interpreted the thread title as 'Okenabirhie CAN'T play up top on his own' but my meaning was that I don't think he should in order to get the best out of him. Brophy can play left back but I'd rather he didn't.

[Andrewlang]

I think the answer *might* start in whatever it was we did against Spurs (spit). I know was only against Spurs (spit) kids but if it worked and worked well then it's worth revisiting.

Far as I can tell the formation was the same but Gordon certainly isn't a target man in the Ironside sense so something about our approach must have been different for it to work. The two attack minded players in the number '10' positions perhaps. What else? Were the wingers inverted..? The balance of a Simper, Lankester, Yearn midfield feels like it shouldn't work even in a game like that but...it did.

Andrew